Derek Hale's 7 Easy Steps to Breaking Bad News
by wearing-tearing
Summary: Stiles (1:38am): ugh derek cmon im horny so can u knot im serious here. - Derek will never admit that the reason he has to buy a new phone the next day is because he accidentally claws his through as soon as he reads Stiles' texts.


Derek is about to take his shirt off and fall face down on his bed when his phone chirps.

It says something about his life that as soon as he's not busy running around trying to save someone from mortal peril and actually has a chance to lie down and _sleep, _someone decides to talk to him.

He stops just short of his bed and reaches a hand into his pocket, plucking his phone out and pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers just as the screen flashes again.

And again.

And then one more time.

**Stiles******(1:13am):

_deeeeerek_

_are u there_

_derek_

_talk to meee pls_

Derek sighs and sits down on the bed, toeing his boots off as he taps a reply.

_what do you want?_

**Stiles** (1:14am):

_u_

_come over_

_2 b all over me_

_or 2 cum all over me_

Derek starts unbuckling his belt, popping the button of his jeans open and pulling the zipper down.

_no._

**Stiles** (1:16am):

_but dereeeeek_

_im horny_

_dads not here_

_ur my boyfriend so its in the job description to give me orgasms cmon_

Derek tugs at his jeans and stands up to let them fall past his thighs and legs, stepping out of them and sitting back down on the bed.

_i'm getting ready for bed._

**Stiles** (1:19am):

_does this mean ur naked_

_txt me a pic_

_of ur dick_

He gets a hand on the collar of his shirt and pulls it up and off, throwing it on the floor so it falls down on top of his pants.

_i'm not sending you any pictures._

Derek pulls the cover back and climbs into bed, punching his pillow a couple of times before resting against it.

**Stiles** (1:23am):

_ur so meeeann_

_i dont know why i like u_

He can't help but shake his head at that, shifting on the mattress and trying to find a more comfortable position.

_i don't know why i like you either._

Derek tries not to feel disappointed when Stiles doesn't answer right away. He settles for pulling the covers up and over him and turning on his side, his phone still clutched in one hand while the other slides under his pillow.

He can already feel himself drifting, his eyelids slipping close as he takes a deep breath and finally lets himself relax for the first time in a week.

And then his phone chirps again.

Derek turns on his back on the bed, raising the phone over his face so he can look properly at the screen.

**Stiles** (1:38am):

_ugh derek cmon_

_im horny_

_so can u knot_

_im serious here_

Derek will never admit that the reason he has to buy a new phone the next day is because he accidentally claws his through as soon as he reads Stiles' texts.

* * *

The thing is, Derek doesn't even _have_ a knot.

At least not while he's in human form anyway, so he doesn't really know how to deal with Stiles' text, doesn't know if he asked about it out of mere curiosity or because he wants to try it, wants to know what it feels like.

Because the only time Derek _does _have a knot is when he's a _wolf_.

He hasn't shifted enough times to feel like he has any control over himself while in full form and he doesn't really feel comfortable with the idea of fucking someone while he's an animal, and by that he means _not comfortable at all_.

But he knows that if this is something Stiles _wants_, he'll do his best to give it to him. That is, as long as he doesn't have to do anything he's not comfortable with.

He even goes as far as asking Google about it, just to make sure he's prepared before he decides to bring up the subject with Stiles.

What he finds is a surprising amount of porn and things he never wants to think about again, but also a couple of websites that sell dildos with knots at the base.

See?

Now Derek has _options_.

And he also has time to wonder about when did this become his _life_, but as he parks in front of the Sheriff's house a couple of days later and finds Stiles waiting on the porch for him, he figures he did okay.

"Are you sure no one is dying?" is the first thing out of Stiles' mouth as soon as Derek is within earshot, leaning in to peck him on the lips before opening the door and stepping inside. "Because your texts were kind of vague."

Derek frowns at him as he walks into the living room, reaching for his phone and going through their conversation as they walk up the stairs to Stiles' bedroom.

**Derek** (4:43pm):

_need to talk to you._

**Stiles** (4:43pm):

_u ok_

_is every1 ok_

_did something happen_

Stiles closes the door as soon as they're inside, going to sit on his bed while Derek settles for Stiles' computer chair.

He figures he needs a little distance if he's going to do this, not wanting to be distracted by Stiles pressed up against him if they both are on the bed.

**Derek** (4:45pm):

_everyone is fine. i just need to talk to you._

_it's nothing bad._

_just important._

"I just need to talk to you," Derek says, putting his phone on top of Stiles' computer table and clasping his hands over his lap.

"I got that, big guy," Stiles rolls his eyes at him and then waves a hand as if telling Derek to _go on_. "But what do you want to talk to me _about?_"

Derek takes a deep breath, bracing himself for the conversation he's about to have.

He practiced what he wanted to say beforehand in front of his bathroom mirror, making sure he knew all that he wanted to say and saying it in a way that was calm and gentle but right to the point, just like the wiki article he read about breaking bad news to someone said he was supposed to.

Because he's about to tell his boyfriend that all of his knotting fantasies won't be happening because _he doesn't have a not_.

So that's why Derek unclasps his hands from his lap and reaches into his jacket pocket, taking out the crumpled piece of paper where he wrote down the seven most important steps to breaking bad news to someone.

See?

Derek came _prepared_.

He chances a glance at Stiles as he unfolds the paper, and sees that he has his eyes glued to Derek's hands, his head tilted to the side and brows furrowed in question.

Derek doesn't say anything and Stiles doesn't ask, just keeps watching him as Derek fumbles with his list and clears his throat a few times while he reads what he wrote down.

**1- Work through your own reaction to the news before preparing yourself to tell someone else.**

Okay, Derek has this part down already.

That's where all the research and pacing around the loft and pulling at his hair came from; Derek working through his own reaction to Stiles asking him if he could knot before he had all of his thoughts in order and could come talk to him about it.

That's good.

He did that already.

And it only took him two days.

Derek mentally pats himself on the back for that one.

**2 - Determine if you're the right person to break the news.**

Derek wishes he wasn't, but they're _dating._

They're dating and Stiles is _his _boyfriend, so if Stiles wants something from Derek then Derek wants him to feel comfortable enough in their relationship for him to come right out and ask.

Much like he did with the knotting.

So yes, Derek is the right person to break the news because he doesn't want anyone to know Stiles like that.

Just him.

**3 - Practice what you're going to say.**

If the walls in Derek's bathroom could talk, they would probably be laughing at him right now.

**4 - Ensure that the physical setting is comfortable and private.**

Derek thinks Stiles' own room is a comfortable and private place for them to talk.

He knows this is one of the only places besides the loft where he feels like he can let his guard down, and he hopes the same goes for Stiles.

He still wants to check though, to make sure that Stiles is okay with them having this conversation here or if he wants to go somewhere else.

"Are you," Derek starts, licking his lips when Stiles' gaze snaps to his. "Are you _comfortable_?"

Stiles blinks at him a couple of times, opening and closing his mouth before he stops and just frowns at Derek.

"What do you mean?"

Derek presses his lips in a thin line, shifting on his chair and clutching the list tightly in his hand.

"Is this a comfortable place for you?" Derek tries again, grimacing at how robotic the words come out.

He thinks he kind of sounds like the guidance counselor the school made him see after the fire, tone of voice soothing and flat and _fake_. He hopes Stiles doesn't think he's trying to lure him into a false sense of security only to pull the mat out from under his feet.

Judging by the way Stiles is now biting down on his bottom lip to keep himself from smiling, Derek thinks he might be doing alright.

"Yes," Stiles says slowly, eyes glinting as he stares back at Derek. "Yes, you could say my own room is a comfortable place for me."

"That's," Derek nods, clears his throat, crosses and uncrosses his ankles. "That's good."

"I think so too," Stiles agrees, pressing his lips together and waiting for Derek to keep going.

**5 - Choose the right time if possible.**

Derek blinks down at that one, because he doesn't really _know_ when the right time to do anything is.

He figures having the Sheriff out at the station while Stiles just lounges around playing video games and eating junk food is as good as he's going to get here.

At least there's not running away from anything that wants to kill them this time, unlike when they finally came around to confessing their feelings for each other.

(Derek had guts all over his shirt and Stiles had a nasty cut over his forehead, both of their faces were covered in blood and there was a lot of screaming and cursing and Stiles throwing cotton balls at Derek's head and Derek trying to push him into the shower and, in the end, they ended up against a wall with Stiles' legs wrapped around Derek's waist and Derek's tongue down Stiles' throat.)

Derek counts that as a plus and mentally checks it off the list.

For both times.

**6 - Assess how the recipient of the news is feeling before your delivery of the news.**

Stiles is currently hiding his smile behind one hand and playing with the hem of his shirt with the other, and there's only two cans of RedBull on his nightstand and about three Reese's Cups wrappers on the ground.

This is normal behavior for Stiles, but Derek knows enough about him to know that sometimes Stiles hides behind a happy façade only so the people around him won't worry.

And if he's going to do this, Derek needs to be _sure_ he's feeling fine.

"And you're okay?" Derek asks, staring at him intently.

Stiles nods, running a hand over his hair. "Yes, I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

"I think I know how I'm feeling," Stiles assures him, eyes going from Derek's to the paper in his hands.

"Good," Derek nods sharply, reading over the next step on the list.

**7 - Approach the delivery of the bad news.**

Okay, this is it.

This is the time.

This is what Derek needs to do right now, approach Stiles and talk to him about his text.

And knotting.

He can do this.

He's Derek Hale and he's fought rogue alphas and kanimas and an alpha pack and damn him if he's going to be intimidated by his boyfriend's desire to be knotted.

So he clears his throat one more time, folds and unfolds the paper in his hand, shifts a little bit in place, and looks at Stiles deadly in the eye.

Because eye contact is important.

His mother taught him so.

And he can do this.

"You sent me a text," Derek starts, swallowing hard, and keeps going. "A couple of days ago. Asking me about something."

"Is this about the dick pics? Because I was kidding," Stiles smiles sheepishly at him, and at Derek's flat look he adds, "Mostly."

"It's not about the," Derek tries not to grimace at the words coming out of his mouth, but he doesn't think he's that successful. "Dick pics."

Stiles snorts a laugh at that, eyes shining as he smiles up at Derek. "Oh, man. It's like it physically pains you to say that. Do it again."

"No," Derek glares at him when Stiles giggles, wondering what he did in a past life to end up falling in love with someone with the humor of an eleven-year-old boy.

"Sorry," Stiles shrugs, not sounding sorry at all.

Derek scrubs a hand over his face, sighing. "Stiles, I'm trying to have a serious conversation here."

And he really is.

Derek Hale is trying to use his words to talk to his boyfriend about the fact that he does not have a knot while he's human or even partially shifted, and that he doesn't feel comfortable with the idea of having sex with him while he's a wolf but that they have other options.

Like dildos with knots.

Because that's a thing that exists and Derek knows about and even knows where to buy it.

"Okay," Stiles pressed his lips together, smiling softly at Derek when Derek just shifts awkwardly in the chair once more. "Okay, let's talk. Or, you know, you'll talk and I'll listen and not make jokes about dicks."

Derek levels him with a flat look, thinking that the wiki article had not prepared him to break news to Stiles.

Because of course Stiles would make a funny the few times Derek actually wants to talk to him.

Not that they don't have conversations, is just that Derek doesn't usually feel like he _can_ talk, like he has someone who'd_ listen_ and _understand_.

At least not until Stiles.

So Derek sighs again and crosses his arms over his chest only to uncross them a second later, because that makes him look defensive and intimidating and he doesn't want that right now.

He wants to look supportive and open while they talk about this.

If Derek actually gets to the part where they _talk_ about this.

"You sent me a text," Derek repeats, swallowing hard when Stiles nods in agreement. "You sent me a text asking me about- Asking me if I could-" and Derek has to take a moment to school his facial expressions in anything other than a grimace. "Asking me if I could knot you."

Derek is vaguely aware of the dying noise Stiles lets out as he flails and shouts, "_What?_"

"I can't do that," Derek answers, trying to sound calm and not like he's _dying from embarrassment _inside as he explains to Stiles why not. "I don't have a knot while I'm in human form, and I wouldn't feel comfortable being with you like _that_ while I'm a wolf."

"_Oh my god_," Stiles chokes, falling off the bed in his hurry to grab his phone from his nightstand and bumping his hand against the cans of RedBull, sending them to the ground.

"But if," Derek continues, only to be interrupted by Stiles shrieking, "_There's an if?_"

"_But if_," Derek nods, and he thinks he's doing okay here. Practicing what he wanted to say beforehand was really helpful, he's not even stuttering or anything. "But if that's something you _want_, then we can work something out."

"Derek, I-," Stiles starts, only to stop when he accidentally lets his phone slip from his hand as he tries to unlock the screen and hits himself in the face.

"I found some websites," Derek tells him, grabbing another paper from his jacket pocket and placing it on top of Stiles' computer on the bed. "They sell these dildos with knots. So we could look at some of them together if you want? Find out which one we like more."

If Derek wasn't busy staring at his hands and trying to smooth out all the crumpled piece of paper that is his list, he would notice the way Stiles is trying to smother himself with his shirt while still lying on the floor.

"I just want you to feel comfortable enough to talk to me about whatever it is that-," Derek clears his throat, shrugging one shoulder. "That you want. From _me_, from _us_, from our relationship. I want you to know that I'll never judge you for it."

Stiles lets out a sound between a laugh and a sob at that, letting go of his shirt to pick up his phone from the floor and say, "I didn't ask that."

Derek finally looks up from his head to stare at Stiles, taking in the way he's sprawled on the floor and holding his phone tightly to his chest, his entire face and neck flushed red.

"I-" Derek starts, stopping short when Stiles shakes his head at him.

And this is it.

Derek managed to fuck this up.

He read an entire article about it to make sure he knew what he was doing and he still managed to do it _wrong_.

"I didn't ask that," Stiles says again, getting up so that he's sitting on the floor with his back resting against the side of the bed.

"Yes, you did," Derek raises an eyebrow at him, because Stiles _did_.

Derek knows he still sometimes has a problem with the whole hating himself thing, but not to the point where he would imagine getting a text from his boyfriend asking him if he could _knot_.

At least he doesn't think so.

"I didn't," and Stiles' voice is all high and wobbly, his eyes wide and face red as he looks at anywhere but Derek.

"You did," Derek pinches the bridge of his nose, tilting his chin in the direction of Stiles' phone still in his hand. "Take a look at your phone."

Stiles lets out another choking noise at that, shaking his head while he unlocks the screen and starts going through his and Derek's texts.

Derek waits patiently for him, and victory comes in to form of Stiles shrieking and throwing his phone at Derek's head.

Derek only barely manages to catch it right before it hits him in the face.

"I didn't mean that," Stiles says loudly. "I didn't- Oh my _god_. I didn't, Derek. I didn't mean for it- _I didn't ask you that_!"

Derek opens and closes his mouth a couple of times before pressing his lips in a thin line, "What."

"I was horny," and Stiles is practically shouting now. "I was horny and you were being a dick and I wanted you to come over and fuck me and what I meant was can you not?"

"But that's what-" Derek shakes his head at Stiles, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I mean not," Stiles yells, flailing. "Not knot! I meant to say can you not!"

"I can't," Derek scowls at him. "We just had this conversation."

"I mean not knot as in K-N-O-T but not as is N-O-T," Stiles chokes out running his hands through his hair and tugging at the strands. "Stupid autocorrect."

Oh.

"Oh."

"Yes," Stiles pulls his knees up to his chest and rests his forehead on them. "_Oh_. _Oh_, I can't believe I just had this conversation. _Oh_, how could technology betray me so. _Oh_, we're never mentioning this ever again for as long as we live. And _oh_, how are you even _real_?"

"I don't-" Derek stares at Stiles hopelessly, because Stiles just _lost _him.

"That's a list, isn't it," Stiles lifts his head up and points a finger at the crumpled paper still in Derek's hand. "About breaking bad news to someone."

"No," Derek denies a little too fast, even though Stiles didn't phrase it as a question.

"It totally is," Stiles nods vehemently, biting down on his lower lip. "The asking me if I was okay and if this was a comfortable place and how you kept reading it to make sure everything was right before you started talking to me about," and Stiles whines in distress again. "About _knotting_."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

And now Derek is back to his default way of dealing with things: if he just ignores it and glares at it enough, it'll go away.

"It is," Stiles says, crawling on all fours on the floor until he's kneeling just between Derek's spread legs, both hands resting on his thighs. "It is and the only reason you even have that is because you wanted me to be okay while we were having this conversation."

Derek just glares harder, because now Stiles is smiling up at him and his lips are curved up in a small smile and his thumbs are rubbing circles over Derek's jeans.

"You wanted me to feel safe," Stiles continues. "And you wanted me to know I was not being judged, and that it's okay for me to come to you if there's anything new I'd like to try."

And Stiles is tilting his head up and leaning closer to Derek and Derek is about to get up and jump out the window so he doesn't have to deal with this.

Because talking about _knotting _with his boyfriend was already awkward enough, and now Stiles is talking about _feelings_ and telling Derek he has them, and Derek did _not_ sign up for this.

"And you did it in a way where you made it clear what your limits are," and Stiles voice is low and soft as he talks, his hands climbing up against Derek's legs. "And that you won't do something just because _I _want to do it, but still coming up with different options that you are comfortable with just so I can still _have it_."

Derek can feel Stiles' breath ghost over his chin, can feel the heat of him against his crotch.

"Even if that something is _knotting_," and Derek can feel Stiles' sides shaking with laughter between his thighs. "I'm proud of you, big guy."

He has to stop glaring at that, letting his eyes roam over Stiles' face, taking in his smile and soft expression.

Because even though this conversation was a total and complete _failure_ because Stiles _did not_ want to know if Derek could _knot_, it was still a pretty big step for him.

Stiles has been teaching him to use his words, to actually talk to people and learn how to communicate like a human being, whether it's just with the two of them or with the pack or someone else.

So the fact that Derek sat down and started a conversation all by himself without stopping to threaten someone or punch people in the face means progress.

It means he's doing okay.

It means that he feels good about himself around Stiles to tell him what he wants and what he expects, even if that something is telling Stiles that he can only knot him if he's a wolf and that that's something he's not into.

"You're pretty proud of yourself for that one too, aren't you?" Stiles asks him, bringing a hand up to cup Derek's jaw and trace his thumb over his stubble-covered cheek.

Derek rolls his eyes at him, lips twitching when Stiles lets out a laugh and closes the distance between them, mashing their lips together.

Derek gets a hand on the back of Stiles' neck, holding him in place as Stiles' licks past the seam of his lips and into his mouth, tangling their tongues together.

Stiles only pulls back long enough so he can straddle Derek's lap on the chair, getting his hands in Derek's hair and angling his head so they can go back to kissing.

In no time they're both with their shirt off, Stiles with his pants halfway down his ass and rolling his hips into Derek's crotch, with Derek kneading the flesh of his cheeks between his hands and sucking marks on Stiles' neck whenever he throws his head back and moans.

"You know," Stiles pants, reaching a hand between them and trying to get Derek's jeans opened. "As much as I-_oh_- like this, I think we should- _oh my god do that again_."

"We should what?" Derek asks, stopping to bite down on Stiles' pulse point to start mouth at his jaw.

"Bed," Stiles says, turning his head and bumping their noses together. "We should be on a bed."

Derek pushes Stiles off his lap and gets up, both of them stumbling towards the bed while trying to take their clothes off, Stiles lying down on the mattress only to pull Derek on top of him.

After that everything is a blur of limbs and lips and slicked fingers and Stiles with his legs around Derek's waist and Derek resting his forehead against Stiles', both of them panting against each other's mouth as Derek rolls his hips while Stiles cants his up to match Derek's rhythm.

They catch their breaths while lying side by side on the bed, Stiles feeling Derek's heartbeat under his hand where it lies against Derek's chest and Derek tracing random patterns with the tips of his fingers over Stiles' hip.

"I can't believe you thought I wanted you to knot me," Stiles says as he scrunches up his nose at Derek. "I mean, really? _Knotting_?"

"You asked me for pictures of my dick," Derek says flatly. "I've learn to expect anything from you."

"I don't know if I find that sweet or insulting."

"I don't know why I like you."

"You like me for my wit and hot body."

"I like you in spite of those things," Derek points out, closing his eyes just in time for Stiles to cup his face between his hand and _squeezing_.

"Now that's definitely sweet," Stiles coos, dropping a kiss to the tip of Derek's nose.

Derek only grunts at him, grabbing Stiles by the wrists and turning so that he's pinning Stiles under him.

"Things have taken an interesting turn," Stiles blinks at Derek from under his lashes, licking his lips when Derek leans in and brushes their lips together before pulling back.

"They have," Derek agrees, nosing at Stiles' cheek and jaw, his neck, the dip of his collarbone.

"Hey, Derek," Stiles wiggles a little in place, testing the grip Derek has on him.

Derek hums in acknowledgement, not lifting his head up from where he has his face currently pressed against the side of Stiles' neck, breathing him in.

"You mentioned something about dildos earlier?" and Derek freezes on the spot, feeling Stiles' heart rate spike up against his lips.

"Yes?" Derek says cautiously, not really knowing where Stiles was going with this.

"Were you only willing to try the ones with knots in them?" Stiles asks, turning his head a little to the side so he can press his lips against Derek's hairline. "Because now I kind of want you to fuck me with a normal one."

Derek will never admit that the reason he has to buy Stiles a new mattress the next day is because he accidentally claws it through as soon as the words come out of Stiles' mouth.

* * *

**A/N**: i don't even know what i'm doing anymore BUT THANKS FOR READING


End file.
